LONDON—Karlin Real Estate has expanded its UK commercial portfolio with the acquisition of a distribution building in Ellesmere Port and an office building in Solihull in transactions totaling approximately $29.4 million (£18M).

Karlin acquired Phoenix, a 405,365 square-foot industrial building leased to Jaguar Land Rover Ltd, from Property Fund Manager, Highcross.  Built in 2001, the building is situated on a secured 21-acre site. The property is located within the Hooton Park Supplier Park along River Mersey and is served by the Port of Liverpool. Knight Frank represented Karlin and Cushman & Wakefield advised the seller. 

In a separate transaction, Karlin acquired the freehold interest in Earlswood Court, a modern two-story 41,363 square-foot commercial office building in Solihull near Birmingham, from Helix Property Advisors, Ltd.  Constructed in 2002, the building has been occupied by The Paragon Group of Companies (LON: PAG), a UK based consumer finance and mortgage lender.  CBRE Birmingham represented Karlin and Fineman Ross advised the seller.

The deals were announced David Cohen, Karlin Real Estate co-founder and CEO of Karlin Asset Management.

“These are well located institutional quality properties in strengthening secondary markets that share a similar investment profile to assets we hold in the United States,” explained Cohen.  “Additionally, we are very excited about the prospects and growth our new tenants are experiencing.”

In August, Karlin Real Estate, the real estate investment arm of Los Angeles-based Karlin Asset Management, Inc., entered the European commercial real estate market with the acquisition of a 169,931-square-foot office building in Peterborough, UK. The firm, which plans to invest up to $1 Billion in the UK and select European markets, has a portfolio of more than five million square feet of office, multifamily, retail and industrial assets and 297 acres of commercial land in the United States.